Dan Churchill to receive Dan Sandweiss Graduate Student Advocacy Award
The University of Maine Graduate Student Government has announced this year’s winner of the Dan Sandweiss Graduate Student Advocacy Award, which is given to a member of the UMaine community who has shown dedication and service to graduate students.
This year, the GSG has awarded the honor to Dan Churchill.
Churchill, who earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics at UMaine in 1963 and an MSBA and MBA from Boston University in 1971 and 1972 respectively, went on to a successful career in international finance where he organized and negotiated the financing of large multinational corporations in Europe, Africa and Asia.
Now retired, Churchill is closely involved with the UMaine School of Policy and International Affairs and the Climate Change Institute. He currently serves as the chair of the SPIA advisory board and, along with his wife, created the Dan and Betty Churchill Exploration Fund, which helps support students pursuing field research within the CCI. To date, the Churchill Exploration Fund has supported the fieldwork of more than 50 graduate students.
“His careful thought, involvement and genuine interest in our graduate students is very encouraging,” says Dan Sandweiss, director of SPIA and professor of anthropology and climate change. “Churchill has invested a great amount of time and wisdom to help transform these two programs and make them better for the university’s students.”
Churchill will be honored at the Graduate School’s hooding ceremony on May 12.